Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has begun his training for the July 9th return fight with Wladimir Klitschko, with Fury entering camp for day-one earlier today. And the 27-year-old, by his own admission, really is a heavyweight, with plenty of excess weight to lose before the fight. Tyson will be training alongside his cousin, unbeaten prospect Hughie Fury, under the watchful eye of trainer and uncle Peter.
Peter Fury wrote in a Tweet earlier today how, “9th July the real journey begins,” and those who know how Team-Fury work have faith in Peter having his fighter fully focused and ready for the fight at hand. Still, Fury, a big man indeed at 6’9” and around 250 to 255-pounds when in top fighting shape, needs to lose close to a fifth of that weight for the rematch. As Tyson Tweeted a couple of hours ago:
“Got a whopping 3 stone, 3 pounds to shed.”
That 45-pounds and even for a big man, that might take some time. Fury of course has been enjoying himself since his big November upset win over Klitschko, and understandably so, but now the work begins anew. Klitschko, who never puts too much weight on between his fights, has reportedly been pushing himself hard for some weeks now, in order to be able to get revenge in July. We know Wladimir will be in great physical shape, but how will his mental game hold up? This fight will come down to far more than just weight.
Is Fury so far inside Klitschko’s head that he will once again be able to intimidate the 40-year-old former king? With the fight being held in the expectedly hostile environment of the Manchester Arena (which is expected to be hostile for Klitschko anyway) the mental side of Klitschko’s game could prove crucial. Still, there are some fans, and experts, who worry Fury may have let the first fight and his win go to his own head and think he might not be as hungry (the right type of hunger) for the second fight.
If anyone can get Fury into the right shape, mentally and physically, it is the man who knows him best – from a professional perspective – and that’s the trainer who masterminded the big points win of five months ago. First, though, those excess party pounds will have to come off.
